


Broken

by GENERAL_KENOBI22



Category: Firefly
Genre: Drabble-esque, F/M, Introspection, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 20:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2887055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GENERAL_KENOBI22/pseuds/GENERAL_KENOBI22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He ain't playin' hero; no flowin' capes or fancy armor or nothin'. He's just bein' honest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Of all the things I've written regarding Mal/Inara, I feel that this is the one that most accurately captures Mal's most realistic feelings toward her.

She makes him feel uneasy with her perfumes and her smiles, her voice as smooth as the silk she's prone to wearin'. Makes him think that settlin' down ain't such a harebrained idea after all. Makes him think settlin' down with her might even be plausible or, God forbid, _enjoyable_. But he shakes his head—usually—of these thoughts, 'cause he knows he'd be a bad husband. Knows he's broken, inside and out. Has been since the war, since Serenity Valley. And he knows Inara—besides all her flaws, if she even has any, 'sides bein' stubborn as all hell, he amends—doesn't deserve somethin' broke. Deserves somethin' better. An' although that thought causes him mild discomfort, he nods—though no one's watchin'—knowin' that's truth if he'd ever heard it.

Some might call that stubborn, such as the preacher, but he knows better. He ain't playin' hero; no flowin' capes or fancy armor or nothin'. He's not tryin' to protect her virtue or such, 'cause he's pretty sure she'd hit him if he even tried. He's just bein' honest. Last time he checked, 's nothin' wrong with that.

'Cept maybe the part where it hurts a mite worse than he ever expected.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on FFN May 1, 2009.


End file.
